The foods of summer: Ollie's frozen custard

DeKalb County's summer haven from the heat is none other than Ollie's Frozen Custard in Sycamore. The hotspot features tasty treats and a recognizable logo: Ollie, a smiling man with a bowler hat and bushy mustache.

Known most for its creamy custard, Ollie’s has been the post-baseball game favorite since 1985 with the opening of its first store in DeKalb. When space became limited, it moved to Oakland Drive in Sycamore in 1990.

Valerie Cranden is now the owner of Ollie’s. She started working in high school. Ollie’s opens at the end of February each year and closes and the end of October:

Cranden says one of the most popular dishes is the turtle sundae, but her favorite is the peanut butter M&M custard.

That manager Darien Ryan's favorite too. Now in college, she’s been working at Ollie’s for 2 ½ seasons. She says one of Ollie's trademark dishes in the banana split, known for its size:

"When we see that customers face when they see that banana split, it’s priceless,they love it.” - Darien Ryan, manager

There are several picnic benches in front of the building, but plenty of parking in the back. Next month, they will be trying out a peppermint-flavored custard, and if you are lucky, it will melt in your mouth before it melts on your shirt.